Deputy Prime Minister faints at Sihanouk's funeral, taken to hospital

Deputy Prime Minister Sok An is carried to a waiting ambulance after fainting at the funeral procession for the King Father, Friday, Feb. 01, 2013. Photograph: Sen David/Phnom Penh Post
Deputy Prime Minister Sok An – who has suffered health problems intermittently in recent years – was brought to the hospital this morning after fainting at the start of the royal funeral procession.

As officials stood in front of the Royal Palace, waiting for the King Father’s coffin to emerge, Sok An abruptly swayed before falling into the arms of people standing nearby.

He was quickly carried off by bodyguards and colleagues to a nearby ambulance.

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said he was unaware of the fainting and insisted Sok An currently faces no serious medical issues.

“He’s just back from Paris and it’s a long flight. He’s just tired,” said Siphan.

“I heard that the doctor told him about a year ago already that he has problems with exhaustion.”

In July of last year, the 63-year-old spent weeks in Singapore receiving medical treatment.

After denying that the deputy prime minister faced health issues, the Council of Ministers later announced he had suffered from nothing more than kidney stones.

Siphan said that since the treatment, there have been “no problems.”

“Everything is well, and he recovered well.”
Follow the updates on the parade at @phnompenhpost

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